It is often desirable to lift heavy equipment, such as a riding lawnmower, an all-terrain vehicle (ATV), or a jet ski, to service, clean, or transport the equipment (e.g., by loading onto a trailer). Typically, a winch is employed for hoisting the equipment to a desired height. The winch may be either electrically powered or manually driven, for example, by turning a crank or handle. Similarly, a winch may be used for lifting large or heavy containers for storage or transporting.
While manually operated winches may be easy to use and maintain, they may require a significant amount of force to create the torque necessary to lift a heavy object. Accordingly, not all users may be capable of operating a manual winch. On the other hand, electric winches may lift an object more quickly and with less effort by the user thereof, but may be costly and require more maintenance than a manual winch.
What is needed in the industry is a portable winch that operates on the principles of a manual winch, but which is capable of actuation by an auxiliary electric torquing device, thus simplifying the manufacture and use of the winch assembly.
Further, what would also be desirable is a reduction gearbox that may be incorporated into existing winch assemblies of various sizes to permit actuation by an electric torquing device.